With fresh faces and reauthorization from the state of Colorado, the Adams State University Teacher Education Department anticipates new growth as they prepare highly qualified educators for their chosen profession.
The Colorado State Board of Education approved a 5-year reauthorization of the University’s educator preparation program. “Thank you for your leadership in providing multiple pathways to prepare candidates who meet the educational needs of Colorado’s students,” Colorado Director of Educator Development Mary Bivens wrote in an Aug. 14 letter to Adams State.
Established as a teacher’s college in 1921, Adams State remains committed to meeting the demand for highly qualified educators. Adams State Department of Teacher Education Chair Curtis Garcia said, “As we celebrate ADAMS100, we look forward to continuing to live up to the ASU statutory mission as an outstanding teacher’s college for this region and the U.S.”
The ASU Teacher Education Department has five new professors this year. They are Joaquín Vilá, Ph.D. professor; Carolyn Casale, Ph.D. assistant professor; Kieran Nduagbo, Ph.D. assistant professor; Michele Mann, Ph.D. assistant professor; and Beverly Devore, Ph.D. assistant professor.
“We are pleased to have new, highly qualified faculty in the department,” Garcia added. ‘With a diversity of backgrounds and experiences we expect to see our programs continue to grow over the coming years.’
The State Board determined the following Adams State endorsement areas met the requirements with regard to reauthorization of preparation programs: Business Education (7-12); Elementary Education (K-6); World Languages (K-12); Music, (K-12); Physical Education (K-12); Visual Art (K-12); English Language Arts (7-12) (7-12); Mathematics (7-12); Science (7-12); Social Studies (7-12); School Counselor (0-12), Principal (K-12); and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education.
Teacher Education at Adams State has been one of the University’s main staples over the course of its history, with more than 70 percent of teachers and administrators working in San Luis Valley earning a degree through Adams State.
Garcia, the chair of the department and San Luis Valley native, graduated from Yale with a bachelor’s degree and from Adams State with a master’s in educational leadership with Colorado professional principal licensure. He is working on his Ph.D. in educational leadership research and policy at University of Colorado – Colorado Springs. Before joining the ASU TED faculty, Garcia taught at Centennial School District and was the principal from 2012 until 2015. He was recognized by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Cross State Learning Collaborative with the Integration Award for Outstanding Principal Leadership.
